1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a phonocardioscope and more particularly to a phonocardioscope with a liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A phonocardioscope is a device for monitoring the activity of a heart. An acoustical transducer detects the sounds of a heartbeat and converts this signal to an electrical signal. The electrical signal is then displayed on a device such as a CRT or a graphic plotting device for the purpose of analysis. There are however, several disadvantages with these prior art devices.
One of the primary disadvantages is the size of prior art phonocardioscopes, specifically these prior art devices are very large. Because of the size and complexity of the device, the device can not be hand held or easily moved around. Rather, the device is large and heavy, and usually requires a cart or some other suitable carrying apparatus. This limits the use of the device to a restricted area such as a hospital or doctor's office.
Another serious disadvantage of prior art phonocardioscopes which use a CRT display, is that the display is constantly changing as a function of time. Thus, the physician can not study and analyze the heartbeat for a particular period of time because the display is constantly changing. In prior art devices which use a graphic recording device, the recording device is complex and expensive, and further, it is less reliable than an electronic type display.